The rugged individual versus the Village.

The rugged individual versus the Village. 

 

In our struggle for equal status as first class independent citizens, we blind folks often overlook our need for interdependency.  We are, after all, members of this village we call the United states of America. 

In our struggle to take our place, shoulder to shoulder with our sighted brothers and sisters, we sometimes get to shouting, "Yes I can, Yes I can!" and forget that no one really stands alone.  We must remember that our independence is built upon our interdependency as a People.  While we put our energy in establishing our individual independence, we need also to learn what our role is, as a member of this great village. 

This Thought Provoker is an example of what goes on today across our nation.  We each go about doing what we think is the right thing to do for the good of our village. 

Here we see the outcome.  Rather than settling a situation in a positive manner, J.C. has escalated a thoughtless prank into a major confrontation that spills out of control.  What a different story this would have been if students had met and discussed the concerns and decided on some plan of action. 

A major piece of being independent is knowing when to act and what to do.  This comes from being interdependent. 

Of course, this is why we organize.  We understand that many minds give us individual wisdom.  But, like the characters in this story, many blind men and women are acting independently, doing what they believe is the right thing to do.  They fail to see the value of the Organized Blind.  They forget our history and what the world was like for the individual blind person prior to the coming together and collective thinking and focused actions. 

Carl Jarvis

 

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THOUGHT PROVOKER 153

MY SISTER'S KEEPER

 

By Guest Author

David Lafleche

 

 Vito stopped when he noticed J.C. sitting at a desk near the stairwell. "Hey, J.C.! Everybody's getting together for a pickup game at the ballpark. Wanna come?"

 "No time," J.C. answered. "I need to stay here."

 "Hall Monitor?" Vito wondered. "What's up with that?"

 "You know the rumors," J.C. explained. "Some girls have complained about guys hanging out too close to their locker room, fooling around. And right now, Rhoda is in there with her friend Mandy. They can't see if some guy is looking for trouble, so I'm pretty much on guard duty."

 "What, they can't spare a girl to do that?"

 "No, they're too busy. Besides, that's my sister in there, and I want to make sure nobody hits up on her."

 Just then, Rhoda and Mandy came out of the locker room. Mandy had her dog, Beartrap. Rhoda had her cane. But neither of them could have been prepared for what happened next. As the girls entered the corridor, a string, unseen to anyone, shot across. Having no time to react, Rhoda tripped over it, sprawling on the floor. She was sore, but unharmed. Mandy and Beartrap reacted angrily. Rhoda was confused. "What in the world was that?!" she asked.

 Beartrap barked loudly, and pawed at a nearby door, apparently the source of the string. "I'll tell you what it was!" J.C. growled as he opened the door. "It was HIM!"

 Brian, a teammate of his on the baseball team, had been in the janitor's closet, waiting for the right moment for his prank. J.C. grabbed him by the collar, slamming him into the wall.

 "What do you think you're doing, you punk!" he shouted. "I knew you were behind all those pranks, and now I've got proof!"

 "Oh, come on, J.C., lighten up!" Brian pleaded lamely. "I was just having a little fun!"

 "You call that 'fun'? You could have killed her!"

 "Ah, she'll get over it. But I suppose this means I'm suspended from the baseball team?"

 "Oh, more than you bargained for, punk! I'm going downtown and pressing assault charges! I'll need you there, Rhoda. Mandy, do you want to come?"

 "I guess so," Rhoda replied. "But it will have to wait till school's over."

 "Dude, aren't you being a little harsh?" Vito asked.

 "No way," J.C. insisted. "To pull a stunt like that on a blind person, especially my own sister, is the lowest of the low. This punk needs to get the message."

 Surprisingly, Mandy also took exception to this, though for her own reasons. "Excuse me, Mister Laval, O hero of the defenseless! Who asked you? Rhoda doesn't need your help! She can fight her own battles! Tell him, Rhoda!"